


The National Public

by nickinspace



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28381887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickinspace/pseuds/nickinspace
Summary: Lena Luthor assumed getting a job at National City Library would be a good experience for her. A way to distance herself from her family's name.It was good - until on a freezing night, alien refugee Kara Zor-El decides to hold a protest and convinces all alien refugees to stay inside, breaking the law and making her night, very, very difficult.Now Lena, along with her co-workers and Kara, needs to survive the DEO, the police and those trying to turn this peaceful night into a bloody mess of chaotic proportions.
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 9
Kudos: 79





	1. Working Luthor

Lena didn’t planned to start working at National City Public library.

When she first left the Luthor household, she struggled for a bit. Lillian had cut off all her credit cards, frozen all of her accounts. Lena had lost all of the monetary support she once had.

Of course, with her brother in jail and the entire world knowing her last name as an evil curse, she knew it was time to leave.

She needed to be free already.

The Public Library offered her a new life. A new reality – even if not perfect.

That morning, their average patrons were already waiting at the doors. Hunched and moving around to ward off the cold, the homeless outcasts were a familiar sight to Lena now.

Six months since she moved to her own place and got a job as a librarian. She tried to think of what her mother would say.

With winter approaching, the homeless of National City came here to stay protected. Lena was getting better at the job, but she still found it too social.

“Good morning, Lena.” Winn said. He greeted her with a smile. His tie was crooked.

She insisted her co-workers called her by her first name. Winn was a good guy, bit chatty maybe.

“Good morning, Winn.” She smiled. Lena waited while he unlocked the doors and opened them for her.

While she entered the warm reception, she heard Winn called out more ten minutes and the groan of the people outside.

She went upstairs to the second floor and found Lucy and Vasquez in another heated argument.

“Dude, really. The books are always untouched. I think he just daydreams.” Vasquez was saying.

Her co-workers never failed to be an amusing company.

“What is the topic of today?” Lena asked with a smirk.

“One of our patrons always has an open book, but he just stares at them. Doesn’t even flip the page. I think he’s like, on his phone or lying to someone while being at the library but Vasquez think he’s just has a _really good_ imagination.” Lucy explained.

Lena knew little about her co-workers, but she had learned a couple of details since working there.

Lucy was an ex-soldier, she left the military years ago and from the way she talked about her family, Lena wasn’t the only one who saw the Library as a shelter.

Vasquez was a complete mystery. Always flirty and calm, she was like fresh air in this overwhelming place.

“Maybe he does!”

Lena allowed the argument to fade to the background, shaking her head.

She sat in her area, made sure her phone was charged and the computer was on.

“Incoming.” Lucy said.

The patrons had arrived.

National City had the biggest population of aliens around, and that meant it also had the biggest population of _homeless extraterrestrials._

In the biggest winter of the year, they came to the library for protection and mostly: information.

A group of fifty patrons came through the doors, wearing layers of clothes and looking shaggy. Some were looking tired, walking a bit slower or they faces were visible alien, and a lot of them carried bags.

They got seated. Went towards the computers. Headed towards the bathrooms.

The library had just officially opened.

Lena’s day mostly consisted of helping others.

She answered questions, helped patrons with their computers and made sure all the books were in the right places.

Working with people wasn’t her strong suit, but she was raised a Luthor. Putting a smile in her face and finding the right solutions was one of her skills.

When she went to the bathroom, she wasn’t surprised to find a group of alien girls fixing their appearances in the sink.

The Library had its regulars, but most of them kept to themselves.

She could still hear them inside the stall.

“I swear, is so cold out there. I miss the sun.” A women said. Her voice was firm. Sweet.

“You’d think they’d let us stay here.” Another said, almost a snort.

“Wouldn’t that be nice? We could stay inside, roast some marshmallows, put some songs on the speakers?” The third women laughed. Her voice was raspy and had a mean edge on it. Almost bitter.

Lena knew she eventually would need to leave, so she opened the door in that moment.

The three women got quiet when she joined them. They were in the sink, applying body spray and using the water.

“The library doesn’t have speakers.” Lena said quietly. She dried her hands.

The woman with the raspy voice had silver hair and wore all black, the one who said the speaker comment. She seemed to glare at Lena for a couple of minutes before going back to fixing her eyebrows.

The second was M’Gann, she was always nice and polite. Lena liked her.

The first was Kara Zor-El. Lena didn’t know much about her, except that everyone liked Kara. She was kind of a leader around this place. Lena seemed Kara stop fights with just a glance – everyone obeyed her and she appreciated her presence to keep the order around.

Kara was quiet, but in a sad way. She stayed a lot of times reading books and on the Internet, but Lena never took the time to see what.

“Really cold, huh, Lena?” Kara stopped washing her hands and asked her. “Maybe we could stay here. Just for tonight?”

Her eyes were pleading.

“I wish.” She did, but James Olsen controlled the board, not her. Unfortunately, Public Libraries were out of her reach. “I’m sorry, Kara.”

Kara nodded.

“Maybe we should go to your place.” She joked.

Lena felt a pang of guilt.

She knew that the Luthors could use their pocket change to create several homeless shelters, and not even that would be enough. Sometimes she thought about going back and asking Lillian to help Kara, and M’gann, but that felt like a step backwards.

Besides, Lillian didn’t give a shit about them. She didn’t care about Lena either.

With that guilt burning her throat like fire, Lena took a couple of bills from her pocket.

“Here. Just… buy some food and… some clothes for yourself, okay?” Lena offered them to Kara.

Kara stared at the money.

For an anxious moment, it seemed she wouldn’t take it. But then Kara took the money, and raised towards her friends.

“Pizza on me, ladies.” She chuckled. Kara nodded at Lena and shoved the money on her pocket.

Lena felt her face burning and exited the bathroom with Livewire’s laughter (was that her name?) echoing behind her.

X

It was after her lunch that she heard it.

Someone was singing Barenaked Ladies.

It wasn’t humming or gently singing, it was loudly yelling of the top of their lungs.

Lena jumped off her chair and walked through the bookshelves. Some patrons passed by her with a look of disgust and embarrassment in their faces.

Her stomach had a sinking feeling in it.

Her steps hurried while she passed through the tables, looking for the source of the noise.

Finally, near the window she saw the man.

“Barenaked Ladies. Good band.” Lucy said, already standing near. She watched the man carefully, but made no movement.

The man was completely nude, standing near the tables and singing some song off-tune.

Kara and her friends arrived, laughing.

“Oh, no.” M’Gann said.

“Do you know him?” Lena asked. She felt powerless, some of the patrons were gathered around, still waiting to see what would happen.

“Never seen him before.” Kara shrugged. “ _It’s All Been Done.”_

Lena and Lucy turned to look at her.

“The song. One of my favorites.”

There was a wrinkle in her forehead as she listened to the song, but her expression eased as quickly as it came. It happened so quickly that Lena could have imagined it, but later she would theorize that Kara seemed, again, sad.

“Hey, I hear-oh boy.” Winn arrived. He grabbed his radio. “We need backup in the second floor, immediately.”

“Winn, can you remove him, please?” Lucy asked.

“No way. My contract doesn’t say anything about nude patrons, Luce.” Winn shook his head.

 _“I knew you, before the west was won…”_ The man sang, careless.

Finally, two more security guards appeared. With some hesitation, they approached the man who tried to hug them. The guards escorted the singing man outside of the building.

“Just another day on the job.” Lucy sighed.

Lena could only agree.

Once the library was about to close, Winn made sure to check all rooms for any wandering patrons.

All computers were disconnected. Despite the protests and begging of the homeless citizens, they were escorted outside.

No one was allowed to stay after-hours.

Just as Lena was about to leave, James ran up to her outside the doors.

“Sorry, uh… Ms….?”

“Just call me Lena, James. How are you doing?” She asked politely.

“Great, great.” James was always distant, but respectful. He always dressed well and maintained a professional relationship with his co-workers, probably because he was on the board. He wasn’t paid to be nice. “Listen, the board called for a meeting tomorrow at 1pm.”

Lena stopped near the sidewalk.

It was freezing cold.

Many of the patrons were now shuffling away into the streets, wrapped in blankets. Lena rubbed her arms.

“What is the meeting about?”

James shook his head.

“It’s… a complaint. You were called to be present. I’ll explain tomorrow.” He was quiet for a while, then nodded. “See you then.”

Lena watched James leave.

She headed for the other side of the street, got in her car and turned all the heating up. It took a couple of minutes before her shivers went down.

Lena looked towards the empty and cold street and tried not to think of Kara.


	2. The Beginning of a Bad Day

When the day first started, there was a body in the sidewalk.

Ever since starting this job, Lena was getting used to such casualties. Didn’t make it easier.

There was a cop car stationed near the Library and they were removing the body.

As soon as she crossed the street, she went towards the scene.

The detective, a short woman in a leather jacket, saw her and tried raising her hand, to keep her back.

“Sorry, I work here!” Lena said. She showed her ID badge, pointed towards the building. The woman lowered her hand. “What happened?”

“The cold.” The cop said. She waited for more questions, but Lena just nodded, took a look at one of her regulars – _she knew him_ – and headed towards the doors.

Lena had the feeling it was going to be a difficult day.

Besides the police, there was also a news van.

CatCo was there too.

Nia fixed her hair one more time while Brainy adjusted the camera.

“Are we on?” Nia whispered.

“One… two… go.” Brainy said, lowering his hand.

“We are live here, in front of National City’s Public Library, where the cold took the life of another homeless citizen.” Nia said, in her perfect journalist voice.

Andrea was inside the news vans, updating Cat on the job.

She found humiliating that she needed to be on-site, covering this type of news, instead of finding herself a bigger story.

She would never get a promotion if nothing interesting happened. The business woman cursed Cat Grant again and waited for Nia and Brainy to return.

Inside the Library, the morning went on as usual.

Lena knew that after lunch, that dreaded meeting would take place. She had no idea of what could make the board take an interest in her, but her mother’s voice kept ringing in her head.

Vasquez ran to her desk while Lena was sorting through books.

She looked panicked.

“Uh, Lena. Fight on the female bathroom, I can’t find Lucy.”

They ran towards the bathroom.

Lena cursed Lucy, and she cursed herself for thinking getting any job in a city with the biggest alien population would be easy.

“Not my fault!”

“It is! You were supposed to be watching her!”

Lena and Vasquez entered the bathroom to find Kara and Livewire at each other’s throats. They left a dent at the wall from their fighting. M’Gann was on the corner, watching tensely.

“Stop it! What’s going on?” Lena yelled.

“Little Sunshine thinks I’m a babysitter.” Livewire spat.

“You were supposed to be watching Imra!” Kara snarled.

Kara took a step back as Livewire tumbled, but their stances still told Lena they could go back to fighting any minute. Still waiting for the chance to hit one other.

Lena tensed. Kara was usually the calm one.

Vasquez eyed Lena, waiting for instructions.

“What happened?” Lena asked again.

“We were riding the subway yesterday, trying to stay warm. Irma was with us.” M’Gann spoke up.

Lena looked at Vasquez for help.

That name wasn’t familiar to her.

“She’s new. Doesn’t come here often.” Vasquez said.

“We lost her. She never came back. She was _supposed_ to be here.” Kara said, anguished.

“Maybe she’ll show up later.” Livewire shrugged, indifferent.

Lena felt lost on what to say.

“She’ll turn up.” Vasquez offered, but her words seemed empty.

Kara Zor-El stared at the mirror. She was supposed to be looking out for Irma. She was supposed to keep her close.

Those words meant nothing.

She looked at her friends who lacked reaction, and Vas who just tried to say what would help the most and Kara just felt hopeless.

Lena was staring at her with sympathy.

She really hoped Irma would be okay, but… she couldn’t do anything else, and she also had her own problems to deal with it.

Lena left with Vas.

Kara stared at the mirror and her thoughts kept growing. Livewire mocked the librarians and M’Gann started to reason with her, and Irma was forgotten.

The Kryptonian stared at herself in the mirror, consumed with _something_.

X

When James Olsen called the meeting, he omitted some details.

Morgan Edge was also present, apparently.

Lena and Morgan Edge grew up in the same social circles, and she knew what a despicable man he was. She already knew he was on the Board, but seeing him in the meeting was a surprise.

“Lena, thank you for coming.” James smiled, trying to appease the tension that filled the room.

Morgan Edge sat in the opposite side of the table. Lena stayed quiet.

James cleared his throat.

“Alright, then.”

“James, if I may.” Edge said, with a hand raise. Lena already disliked him right there. “We received a complaint from one of the patrons in regards to you, Ms. Luthor.”

Lena showed no emotion, but from the corner of her eye, she saw James remain still. So, he already knew about her last name then.

Raising her head a bit higher, she kept the posture and calm that only a Luthor could master.

“What was the complaint about?”

“According to a man named Nyko, you kicked him out of the building because…” Edge checked his notes. “… _he kept talking in a loud voice, in incomprehensible non-English.”_

James and Lena exchanged a glance.

“We received complaints of several patrons. He’s an alien refugee, and his voice volume was very high. He was practically shouting…” James began.

“Did you try asking him to lower his voice?” Edge said, not without a hint of sarcasm.

Lena felt the urge to punch that smugness out of his face. Morgan Edge didn’t even care about aliens, but I guess the chance to make a move against Lena Luthor was good enough for him.

“He doesn’t speak English.” Lena said in small voice.

“Oh? Okay, well, he managed to fill a complaint though. He’s suing the Public Library.” Morgan Edge threw the notes on the table. “If this goes to court, the City Council will be paying a lot, Mr. Olsen.”

“We were obeying to the rules of the Library!”

James tried to calm Lena down.

Morgan turned his attention to Lena.

“I understand, Ms. Luthor. But the Public Library is there to provide information for everyone and kicking someone out for the volume of their voice without talking to them first is quite an issue. Nyko feels discriminated, and if the city is going to pay over fifty thousand dollars to a _homeless alien refugee…”_ Edge failed to hide the disgust in his voice. “…we need to know the whole situation.”

James tried to be the voice of reason and went on a speech about rules and laws, but Lena was too busy imagining Edge freezing to death to care.

The meeting was adjourned after they agreed to pick it up tomorrow.

Morgan Edge stayed behind to talk with James Olsen and Lena left feeling awful.

When she was getting ready to leave, she had no plans beyond ‘order takeout’ and ‘get drunk watching documentaries’.

Until Kara appeared behind her.

“Hey, Lena.” She smiled. Kara was wearing a couple of jackets, and the only sign of the street in her was the layer of dust in her skin.

Kryptonians appeared to be very resistant to the cold, but when Lena asked Kara why she hanged out in the Library so much, she went quiet and said: “All my friends are here.”

“Kara. I was just going home. Time to leave.”

“That’s the thing! I decided not to. I- I think I’m gonna stay, it’s not fair for us to sleep out there when we can stay inside, ya know?” Kara started to ramble.

Lena was working the whole day, so her brain was struggling to play along. In other days she’d love to talk to Kara about the injustice of the system, but after that dreadful meeting, she just wanted to drop in her bed.

“Kara, you can’t stay here.” Lena tells her.

Kara smiles.

“I’m gonna. I already made my mind, Lee. It’s time to shake things up.” Her smiles brightens.

Lena tries to ignore the weird feeling in her chest

“Okay, and after the police shows up?” Lena asks. Trying to convince her to be realistic.

“We’ll pass that bridge when we get there. Tonight we stay.”

Lena stopped to a halt.

“…we?”

Kara passed through her and disappeared behind a bookshelf.

Lena followed behind, a terrible feeling in her stomach.

In the middle of the hall, more than dozens of aliens and refugees. Covered in thick coats, carrying all they had, standing in the middle of the hall side-by-side.

Kara gestured to them.

They were silent. Waiting.

Lena dropped her bag on the floor.

_“Fuck.”_


	3. Law-Breakers and Authority

Lena wasn’t sure if it was luck or not that James was still in the building.

“James! Mr. Olsen!”

He was already in the first floor when she came running. Lena didn’t have time to think. Judging by Kara’s confident smile, time was of the essence.

“Uh, yes…?” He stopped.

“I’m sorry to catch you in a late hour…!”

“I was just heading home…”

“Yes, I know, but….” Lena took a second to catch her breath. His face looked confused and a bit taken back. “I was wondering if we could leave the Library open for tonight. For the refugees.”

James took a deep breath.

“Just for tonight! Please, it’s really…”

“Lena, the Public Library it’s not a shelter. We’re not a charity center.”

“I know.” Lena schooled her features back into a neutral cold face. His words felt like a punch. James was always kind, but he still obeyed orders.

“If the refugees need a place to stay, they’ll have to find other resources.”

_There are no other shelters, Lee. They’re all full. There’s been five deaths this week alone!_

Lena took another second. She quieted the sweet, but painful voice, in her head.

James was still staring at her like she lost her mind.

If she told him that there was over fifty super-powerful aliens upstairs planning to break the law to survive the winter, there was no guarantee on how dangerous the situation could get.

“Lena, I think you’re brilliant. But the Board is talking about firing you.” He admitted.

Lena scoffed. She had a guess on who started the idea.

“This type of stunts don’t help, Lena. The Library closes tonight, like always.” He said.

James walked away, worsening the dread Lena felt.

When she went back to the second floor, the chaos hasn’t disappeared.

Kara was still in the middle of the library, along with all her meta-human friends and alien company alike.

Lucy and Vasquez were staring at them, confused.

“Why are they still here?” Vasquez asked.

The refugees were sitting in couches, or talking. Making no action to leave.

“They’re staying.” Lena sighed.

Lucy looked at the patrons like she expected. She was in the military, so maybe she saw it coming. Soon or later, bound to happen.

Winn walked in and stopped dead in his tracks.

“Luce?” He looked at the hallways.

“Any ideas?” Lucy asked her co-workers.

_“Schott, is there an event happening in the library? The cameras say all the patrons are still inside.”_ The radio in Winn’s hip spoke.

Winn made a panicked face.

For a moment, they were unsure on what to do.

“This is great!” Kara approached them. If she noticed the awkwardness, she was ignoring it well. “Much warmer than outside.”

Lena looked around her.

In a couple moments the guards would remove them all.

She noticed the group of aliens by the doors, ready to move the bookshelves to block the path when the order came – probably when Kara yelled the command.

If she left, all of them would be in danger.

“I’m staying.” Lena said.

Kara’s face beamed when she spoke and that was worth it all.

Lucy sighed.

“Fine. I guess I’m staying too.”

Vas shrugged.

“Sure.”

_“Schott?”_ The radio repeated.

Winn looked around.

Lucy must have noticed his indecision, because she grabbed his elbow.

“Leave. We got it covered.”

“But, Lucy…!”

“I’ll be fine. Go, Winn.” She said and took him out the door.

Winn nodded shakily and walked towards the elevator.

The doors were closed.

Lena realized the truth of her situation.

She was staying in the Library with several alien refugees.

They were breaking the law by doing it so.

Lena could lose her job, get arrested or so much worse for helping them.

But she never felt a stronger sense of purpose before.

Kara raised her head. She stayed still for a second, like she was listening to something, and then her eyes went wide.

“They’re coming.” She said.

The aliens by the door pushed the bookshelves, blocking the doors with its weight. With no strain, the doors were blocked and barracked.

“ _Ms. Luthor!”_ A familiar voice sounded from outside the hallway. “Open this door right now!”

Lena fought a smirk.

Morgan Edge punched his fists against the door.

“Break it down!”

They tried. The security tried breaking the door for a couple minutes, but they failed. The aliens cheered and laughed while Edge cursed at them.

The employers of the Library stood aside, watching while the guards tried to break in and couldn’t.

Lucy knew that if she had left, those people would be vulnerable. Vasquez stayed for the same reasons. They both had previously worked for the government and had found a good job in the Library – they weren’t abandoning these citizens now.

“Call the police.” Edge spat out.

James tried to appeal.

“Lena, please.”

“Sorry, Mr. Olsen.” Lena nodded.

Through the glass, James looked at the scene ahead of him. He shook his head, in a silent warning.

Another bookshelf was put against the glass, and the view of James Olsen’s face disappeared.

X

It was 3am when Alex Danvers got the call.

She woke up in a daze, tapping the nightstand until she managed to find her phone.

After ten seconds of J’onn hurried speech, she was already up. Less than ten minutes later, Alex had her jacket, badge and gun on her and was out the door.

When J’onn told her about the refugees refusing to leave the Library, she didn’t realize what to expect.

The entire street was flooded with police cars and officers in both sides. The corner of the street had been closed to avoid traffic accidents.

Alex got off her bike and headed towards a familiar face.

“What a night, huh?” Alex looked up too.

Maggie took her eyes off the building and smirked at Alex.

“Good to see you, Danvers. Sorry to wake you up.”

“What’s the situation?”

“Refugees decided to protest the lack of shelters, so they’re refusing to leave. There’s some librarians inside, but we don’t know if they’re there voluntarily or not, that’s why we called you. James Olsen, who runs the Library, wants us to coordinate the operation.” Maggie explained.

Alex nodded.

The hope in her chest flickered like a flame. 

Those answers she has been seeking for two months now – maybe she can find them here.

Alex forced herself to focus.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

They walked inside the building together.

In the security room, Morgan Edge looked extremely angry. His face was red and he was pacing around the floor. James Olsen was staring at the security tape of the room they were in when Agent Danvers and Detective Sawyers walked in.

“Uh-sir.” Winn said, introducing the two.

“I want them _gone_. Use pepper spray, whatever you have. Just remove them!” Morgan Edge exclaimed. He pointed a finger at James. “That employer of yours, Luthor? Was it your idea hiring her?”

“I think that if you escalate this, things will only get worse.” Maggie said. Her tone was professional, but she was fighting to keep her voice neutral.

“I don’t want any violence. Please.” James said.

“Then let’s not. We’ll try to appeal to them first.” Alex said. “Lead the way.”

They walked towards the room and immediately both officers saw that the room had been barricaded with multiple shelves. They studied the blueprint and knew there was only one way out – that door. The building was extremely high, so unless they were going to fly out the window and risk the DEO operatives downstairs, this was their only way out.

Alex shared a look with Maggie and knocked on the door.

There was silence. They could hear hush voices talking.

She had to fight against rolling her eyes.

“We’d like to speak with the person in charge, please.” Maggie said, stern.

Inside the library, the aliens remained quiet.

Lena looked at Kara for guidance.

Kara shook her head.

“Oh, I don’t speak with cops.” She made a face. But, then made a motion for Lena to do it.

Maggie and Alex glanced at each other again, before a voice sounded.

“Yes. That would be me.”

Morgan Edge scoffed.

“Lena Luthor. Joined the forces. What a surprise.” He shook his head, talking under his breath.

“Ms. Luthor, this situation won’t end well for anyone. So, please. I’ll ask for you to open this door and that everyone leaves peacefully. We’ll make sure everyone gets to a good shelter and no one will get harmed. You have my word.” Alex promised.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“Honestly, that’s so typical of you!”

“Mr. Edge, please….” Maggie tried to quiet him.

“You had everything handed to you, so why are you trying to do charity now? These aliens are committing a crime. This situation won’t end well, and if it goes badly, _no one_ can be blamed. _Criminals_ will get what they need. ”

The implication of his tone didn’t pass anyone. He clearly didn’t care if these refuges got hurt or not.

Lena was fuming.

Kara tried to put her hand on her shoulder to calm her down, but she walked towards the bookshelves.

“Let me pass.” Lena said.

Kara made a head motion, and the bookshelves were moved.

Alex and Maggie braced themselves, but when the door opened – it was just Lena.

The other aliens stayed behind. Watching the security, the DEO agent and the Detective, Edge Morgan, Winn and James with obvious apprehension.

Lena stared at the group.

“I’m not leaving. _We_ are not leaving. However, I do have a demand if you wish to make a deal.”

Alex raised her eyebrow.

“I’m listening.”

“I want Edge Morgan to go outside on the street and lie on the ground for five minutes. Without his coat.”

The executive in question laughed at the absurd request. He looked around, but the rest of them made no objection or showed no amusement.

“Why?” He barked.

“Do it.” Lena glared at him. “Then we’ll see about getting your precious library back.”

She turned around to leave, but Alex stopped her.

“Wait.” She fumbled with her jacket and took a picture from her pocket. “Have you seen this woman in there?”

Lena took the picture with hesitation.

The girl in the picture was a blonde woman, she wore black glasses and her hair was wrapped in a golden ponytail. Her skin was tanned, her smile was shining and happy. It made Lena’s chest squeeze.

Lena shook her head.

“ _No_.”


	4. Runaway Kryptonian

Andrea was very clear.

Something was happening and she wanted the exclusive to belong to CatCo.

Their news vans parked near all the others – the street was filled with lights. It was in the middle of the night, but it seemed like the whole city was awake.

Nia and Brainy were all set up, filming the building.

“All we know so far, is the building is in lockdown.” Nia was reporting.

The police refused to say anything else.

The doors opened and Morgan Edge walked outside. Immediately, all reporters started to ask him questions and try to get a good shot. He waved them off, walked towards the concrete in the middle of the street and started to remove his coat.

“What the hell is he doing?” Andrea whispered.

She watched as Morgan Edge stood in a shirt in the middle of freezing winter.

Then he laid down in the pavement.

Flashes went off as photos were taken. News vans watched as the famous executive laid in the ground, rubbing his crossed arms, trying to warm himself up. He kept looking at his watch.

Questions about his sanity were theorized, while they waited to understand what he was doing.

Then, as if he was satisfied, he got back up and put his coat on again.

“Alright, then, folks.” He said.

The media circulated him.

“I know what I did there seemed, well, irrational, but I assure you, it had a purpose. Inside our library, several patrons are being held under lockdown by a deranged, vengeful individual who wanted me to laid down in the street during our negotiations.” Morgan Edge explained.

“Why did they request that?” Nia asked under the camera.

Morgan Edge laughed. Andrea though she heard a bit of a nervous tone in his laughter.

“Who knows? We are dealing with someone who is breaking the law, taking over public space and defying the police authority. Their reasons are insane, at best. I can say we are working with the police to open the doors and get the patrons out.”

He walked off ignoring the questions.

Andrea watched the scene with interest. She hopped of the news van and walked towards her working employers. This could be the great story she was hoping for.

Inside the library, the first thing Vasquez suggested was to get the TVs working.

This way the could keep an eye on the outside.

Livewire apparently was “handy with technology”. She got the main TV working and they managed to watch the coverage outside.

Lena was ready to murder Edge.

He got the story out that there was a hostage situation happening. The words ‘danger’ and ‘hostage criminal’ were being used in all channels.

“How dare he? Did he just call me deranged?” Lena spat out.

Some people took a step back.

Kara held her hand.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about him.” She said. Lena looked down at her hand and felt her face tensing up. “But maybe from now, you should let us handle the negotiations, Lee?”

“Sure. Yeah.” Lena coughed.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Lucy rolling her eyes and Vasquez laughing.

The mood soured a bit, but everyone occupied themselves as usual. Just the prospect of a roof under their heads and somewhere hot to lie down was enough to keep the patrons happy.

She and Vasquez went towards the closets to find the refugees some blankets.

In the next couple of hours, Lena learned some things.

She was sitting in a table with Lucy, playing poker with M’Gann and Kara. Almost every round, M’Gann would end up with the good cards.

It took a while for Lena to realize that Kara was grinning.

Until Lucy slammed the cards on the table.

“Alright, how are you doing that?” She huffed.

M’Gann raised her eyebrow. Kara let out a laugh.

“She’s a telepath!”

Lena and Lucy looked at her with evident betrayal.

“And you didn’t think to tell us that _before_ the game?”

“Are you a telepath too?” Lena asked.

“No, but she is immune to my powers and it annoys me.” M’Gann made a face. Kara sticked her tongue out to her.

“How did you ended up on the street?” Lucy said.

It was a simple remark, said without malice or second thought. But the air seemed to shift for a moment while the conversation changed tones.

M’Gann got a different look in her face. Lucy seemed like she wanted to take it back.

“I had a bar. For aliens and others alike.” M’Gann said, the lightest hint of a smile on her face. “Nice place. But, sadly, the government didn’t like us having a spot just for us, so they dig up a bunch of bills and overcharged fines for me to pay.”

Lena hang her head down.

“I lost the bar, ended up on the street. Met Kara.” She said, nudging her friend’s shoulders.

Kara smiled.

The youngest Luthor tried to compare the blonde woman sitting in front of her to the one from the photo. They were so similar, and yet this one seemed to carry a hidden burden on her.

The night went on, with them playing games and listening to music and talking to each other.

Kara Zor-El was sitting on the window sill, with a book in her hand when Lucy Lane approached and sat next to her.

“Did you like the book?” Lucy asked.

_The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ was the book. Never failed to cheer her up, but tonight she seemed deep in though.

“It’s good.” She tried for a smile.

Lucy nodded. For a couple of moments, it seemed like she was trying to find the right words to speak.

“You know why I got this job?”

Kara shook her head no.

“My father works for the military. My sister was in love with an alien. Similar to you.” Lucy said. Looking at her, watching her face with great kindness.

The recognition in the Kryptonian face was undeniable.

“Yeah. After Superman got sick, and you know…”

_The coma. The hospital bed._

“Lois blamed my dad. She knew it was his fault, all those secrets and training drills and maybe Superman wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Maybe she could have done something to stop it.”

Lucy’s words cut like a blade into Kara’s heart.

“I decided to quit. Got this job here. When you show up, I didn’t even realize it. Didn’t make the connection until Lois called to tell me you disappeared one night.”

“Have you told anyone?” Kara whispered.

“No.” She smiled gently. “Your life is your choice, but what happened it’s not _your_ fault.” Lucy gripped her shoulder. “There’s still family out there that loves you. Supergirl.”

Lucy left with that last word.

Kara hasn’t heard that name in two months. 

It was more than an hour after the protest begin when the alien fell.

He started to shake, and with a thud, he fell in the floor.

Kara Zor-El raced to his side, with Lena next to her.

“What’s wrong with him?” Lena asked, panic evident in her voice.

Checking his pulse, she had a good guess.

“Blood sugar. He needs food.”

Lucy looked around. She knew aliens needed a lot of food, and they had a lot of refugees in the library. She wondered how many were starving.

“Negotiation time?” Lucy asked.

“Negotiation.” Lena sighed.

The bookshelves were once removed, and Alex and Maggie were waiting outside once more.

“Did you reconsider?” Alex asked, tiredly.

“No. We need food.”

“Lena, you can’t be serious.” James chuckled like the idea was entirely ridiculous.

Her eyes showed the opposite.

“We have alien refugees who haven’t eaten in months. One of them just passed out. We need food, and a lot.” She offered the Agent her credit card and a piece of paper. “Use my credit card and buy the food on the list. Please.”

Alex hesitated.

She knew the effect lack of food could have on aliens. The goal was to remove them safely, but she couldn’t abandon them without meals either.

“Alright. Wait here.” Alex said. She ignored the look on James’s face.

The call was made, and enough food to feed an army was brought towards the building.

Outside on the street, the reporters watched the interaction and speculated on what was going on.

It was standing outside the barricade that Alex noticed. The recipe of the order.

Potstickers and pizza.

Alex felt a mixture of excitement and downright fury.

There was one person she knew who ordered this.

Her instinct was telling this from the beginning, she should have listened.

“Kara!” She yelled, confusing Maggie. “I know you’re in here! You want your food, come out here!”

Alex made a signal for the food delivery man to wait.

There was silence. No one moved, or said anything.

Maggie knew what Alex was going through. She’d helped looked for Little Danvers for two months now, but this was going sideways fast.

Slowly, the doors opened and Kara stepped out, with a group behind her.

Alex didn’t know either to punch her or hug her.

“Can we have the food now?”

“End this. Let’s go.” Alex’s voice was firm. On the edge of breaking.

“No.”

“Kara, I’m not messing around! If you don’t end this, they’ll send armed agents to arrest all of you. With tear gas! And I won’t be able to stop them.” Alex tried to appeal.

“No, Alex.” She said. Her face was defiant. “I won’t abandon them.”

Maggie looked at the aliens behind her. Kara had made her choice.

“Alright, send in the food.” Maggie said. Alex looked at her upset, but they couldn’t do anything else.

The food was delivered.

Right before the doors closed, Kara looked at Alex again. She was staring at her sister like she wanted to run in there and drag her to safety.

Kara smiled, with enough warmth to power a greenhouse.

“Trust me, Alex.” She went back inside.

Alex watched her go and sent a prayer to Rao.


	5. Lights On

The food changed everyone’s mood.

It seemed like the quiet anguish surrounding the refugees melted, and their true selves started to show.

Laughter and loud conversations filled the library.

That’s how Lena Luthor found herself sitting next to Kara. Contemplating her choices.

“I can hear your brain thinking, Lee.” Kara said. The blonde had two slices of pizza in each hand.

Lena smiled fondly.

“It’s nothing, really.” Lena said. She bit her lip. “It’s just… I don’t know much about you.”

Like usual, her face changed slightly before whatever shadow passed there disappeared as fast as it came. Almost imperceptible. But Lena spent most of her time analyzing this confusing woman, because she fascinated her almost as much as she annoyed her.

“Tell me. About you.”

Kara put the pizza down. Which might be a sign of concern in itself. She looked in Lena’s striking green eyes. Ever since joining the library, Lena had been a constant source of comfort.

Her cousin had been stuck in a coma for a few months, and Kara ran. She ran because she needed time, and the library and finding her roots again gave her a new meaning.

Lena was amazing.

So, Kara told her everything.

Outside, on the street, Andrea had found her winning card.

She managed to pull records of the library employers.

It took some resources, and since they were banned from entering, that was already good enough.

Lena Luthor, her ex-friend, worked in the library.

At first, Andrea assumed it was a mistake or a name coincidence. The Luthor youngest just disappeared long ago and now she shows up at the biggest scandal news of National City.

Andrea couldn’t believe her luck.

She scrolled through her phone, hoping it would work.

On the street, the cameras and vulture reporters were still in position. Crowds of curious were in the end of the street, trying to get a good peek of the drama.

“Get the camera going.” Andrea whispered to Nia.

“Did she agreed?” Nia asked.

Andrea made a hand signal for her to rush. The phone was still dialing.

“ _Hello?”_

The executive sighed. She thanked whatever entity heard her. With a fresh breath, she was back on the game.

“Lena, it’s Andrea. I heard about what’s happening, are you okay?” She asked.

There was a pause. Perhaps Lena trying to understand Andrea’s strategy or simple confusion at the unexpected call.

_“I’m fine. Thank you for calling_.”

“I’m outside.”

“ _You’re outside the Library?”_

“Well, I’m working now.”

Another pause. Less amused now.

_“With which channel, Andrea?”_

“CatCo. Edge Morgan is spinning quite a story, and I can help you tell your side. Let me help you.” Andrea asked.

More silence. It sounded like someone else was whispering on the other side of the line, a discussion following, but Andrea couldn’t make out the words.

“…fine. A simple statement.”

“Great! Don’t hang up.” Andrea said.

She was beyond static.

Brainy was behind the camera, and Nia was watching the monitor. With someone on the inside to explain what was happening, CatCo could get their exclusive and Andrea could jumpstart her career like she needed.

She got her mic ready and went forwards.

Nia gave her the thumbs up.

Brainy hooked up the cellphone to the laptop and they were on.

“Hello, we’re back here in front of National City Library. I’m Andrea Rojas and we have a source inside the library willing to speak with us. Please, tell us your name.”

_“I rather keep my name private, but I’m an alien refugee.”_

Inside the building, Alex’s eyes went wide as she listened to the broadcast. She groaned, and rubbed her forehead.

“For fuck’s sake.” She said.

“Okay, an alien refugee. You are staying inside the library and refusing to leave, keeping these employers inside, is this correct?”

_“These employers chose to stay. We are trying to protect ourselves from the cold…”_

“There are shelters designed for this purpose. What you’re doing seems to be a matter of attracting attention to a cause. Making some noise, drawing police force towards aliens.” Andrea said.

Nia felt her stomach drop.

She thought Andrea was going to discredit Morgan Edge, not add more gasoline to the fire.

There was silence on the line.

“Well? If you want aliens to be protected, why put them under the line of fire?” Andrea asked, almost scoffed.

When the other person responded, their voice changed. Familiar to some, they seemed firm and confident in what they said.

_“Aliens are always under fire. It’s about time we finally did something to attract attention to ourselves, to the way we’re unprotected by the system.”_

“So, this is all about fighting the system. Not actually about caring for your peers, then? Doesn’t that seem a bit insane?” Andrea raised her eyebrow. “It’s irrational.”

Another beat of silence. Then the voice answered, quiet and sweet like a ray of sun.

_“Being in a minority, even in a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth, and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.”_ She spoke.

Andrea opened her mouth, then closed.

The phone was disconnected. Andrea swallowed.

“Well, then. You all heard.” She said and finished her scene before Brainy cut the connection.

She stormed off towards them.

_“What the hell_?! Lena put me in the phone with a _crazy_ person.” She barked.

“That was George Orwell.” Nia smiled, way too sweet and innocent.

Andrea glared at Nia for a second, then stormed off back into her trailer.

On the library, the aliens were calm. Sleeping from the free dinner.

Lucy walked amongst the rows of snoring bodies, never letting her military training fail. Vasquez was reading a magazine, never seeming troubled by anything.

In the back rows of bookshelves, Lena and Kara were alone for the first time since this started. The youngest Luthor had her arms around Kara’s neck.

Lena didn’t think she ever been this happy.

“My mom would be enraged if she knew about this.” Lena laughed.

“Wait until she sees the news.” Kara held her waist.

With a gentle pull, the two didn’t have to wait anymore. That first kiss was better than they both expected, it was real.

Lena moaned into the kiss, her hands finding Kara’s neck. Kara let her fingers rest in Lena’s waist. They were secluded in their own separate corner of the world, free of any troubles.

In the office where security was set, however, everyone was tired of waiting.

“Sorry, there’s no more time.” James said. The sun would rise anytime.

Alex sighed. She was about to tear her hair off.

“Alex.” Maggie whispered. They knew sending a couple of DEO agents was better than letting the military or untrained police near those refugees. “C’mon, babe.”

One look between each other and they knew.

“Alright. Let’s do it.”

Winn stopped them at the door.

“Look…”

“There’s no other way.” Morgan Edge said grotesque. Like he hoped this outcome would happen.

“Just… try not to kill any of my friends, alright.” Winn sent them a look before he walked off.

As he was crossing the hallway, James walked up to him.

“Hey. Winn.” James looked both ways before stopping in front of him. “Do you still have your radio?”

“…yes? Why?” Winn asked hesitantly. He really liked James, despite them working in distant fields, he always been a really good friend.

“Because there’s a spare radio inside and we need to warn them.”


	6. Creative Solutions

Vasquez heard the noise.

A static noise.

She recognized that noise from her time in the military. Vasquez had spent years working for the military, until she was honorably discharged and ran into Lucy in National City’s bus stop two weeks later.

The static came from a radio, stashed under the desk.

“Lucy. Does this radio belong to you?”

Lucy walked over the sleeping aliens and stopped in front of the desk.

“No. It’s one of Winn’s spares. It shouldn’t be working.” She examined the radio like it was a dangerous trap. Turned the dial on.

_“Hello? Anyone?”_

“Winn?” Lucy said, joyful to hear her friend’s voice.

“ _Red alert! DEO on the way, in full riot gear. You have less than twenty minutes.”_ Winn said with panic in his voice. He sounded terrified.

Lucy and Vasquez looked at each other.

The aliens were still half asleep, so they walked between them trying to find Kara and Lena. Those two seemed to have taken over the leadership of this weird and dangerous project.

M’Gann was resting against a bookshelf, reading on a legislation book.

“Hey, did you…?”

“End of the hallway.” She made a face.

Vasquez shrugged while Lucy went ahead.

In the end of the hallways, leaning against the bookshelf were the two women, in a passionate embrace.

The ex-soldiers stopped. Vasquez coughed, not so discreetly.

Lena separately herself, fixing her blouse. Kara smiled happily and raised her hand in greeting.

“Oh, hey guys.” She said. Completely unbothered.

Lucy looked unsurprised, but they had bigger problems right now.

“We need to talk.” She nodded towards the center of the room and left. Vasquez shook her head and followed.

Lena sighed.

“Well, I guess all good things must come to an end.”

Kara held her face in her hands.

“We can always pick up later.” She kissed her cheek.

They smiled to each other, feeling completely overtaken by this feeling. The two followed back, resigned to not let their pasts interfere with the hope for a new future.

“What’s the problem?” Lena frowned.

“DEO is on the way. Twenty minutes.” Lucy motioned the aliens.

“Winn said they’re wearing riot gear.” Vasquez whispered.

A tense silence fell over them. Riot gear meant weapons, which usually led to violence. With only one door out and a crowd downstairs, their chances were very specific.

Livewire showed up behind them, looking well rested and clearly ears dropping.

“So we fight?”

The humans looked horrified at the suggestion. Mostly because they knew what aliens were capable of, they understood the DEO’s abilities, and the bloodshed was expected.

But Kara also understood. She had been in the field before.

Her and Livewire exchanged a silent conversation. She wanted to go out fighting, but Kara always believed in another way. _Supergirl_ used to believe in finding creative solutions.

M’Gann came from behind the shelves and stopped next to them.

The three of them have been surviving in the streets for a while. They understood what was necessary and have seen how aliens were treated.

But sometimes you needed to think outside the box.

“I know exactly what to do.” Kara said. “Wake everyone up.”

Slowly, all the refugees were woken up. They looked grumpy, but once the word got out that the authority was on the way, they were happy to stay quiet and wait for instructions.

“Alright, what’s the plan, sunshine?” Livewire huffed.

Kara looked at the group before her. Over fifty aliens and three humans, who got caught in a surprise situation – now looking for guidance.

“This is going to sound strange, but I need you all to trust me.” Kara said, with a confident voice. “Take off your clothes.”

Outside the library, the security stayed behind with Winn and James.

“They got the message, right?” James said anxiously. He made mistakes, but by God, he was trying to fix them.

“Yes. I don’t know what their plan is!” Winn said. His tie was even more crooked now. “Oh, this was a terrible idea.”

“Everything ready?” Alex asked.

The DEO agents nodded. There were twenty of them: wearing riot gear, armed with pepper spray, taser guns and batons. They were supposed to wait for Agent Danvers’s signal. But not even Alex knew what the hell she was supposed to do.

Maggie approached her.

“Do what you have to.” Maggie squeezed her hand.

Alex breathed deeply.

“Love you.” Alex said. For good luck. They stared at each other, knowing that the night would probably end on Alex’s couch.

“Love you too, Danvers. Now go. I’ll cover you from here.”

They moved upstairs. When they got to the doors, the furniture was still covering the door.

Alex knocked, but there was no response.

“Open the door now. I’ll ask only once.”

_Please, Kara. Open the door._

Nothing. The team waited.

“Kick it down.”

The team advanced, preparing to kick it open, right as the bookshelves were moved in a fast speed.

“Wait!”

The doors were unblocked. Alex made a hand signal and one of the DEO agents opened the doors.

They were not prepared for what they saw.

All of the refugees and employers were in the nude.

They were completely nude, unarmed, just standing still in the middle of the room.

Alex stared at the scene, her eyes frowning when passing through Lena Luthor, then averted her eyes with a sudden curse.

The DEO agents were confused, not knowing how to proceed. It was clear the refugees were also tense, exposed next to fully armed militaries.

It was then that Kara began to sing.

_“I met you, before the fall of Rome…”_

The confusion spread amongst the agents. They still had their weapons raised, but no one moved. Alex was staring at the other refugees, waiting to see if this was a trap, likely a sentiment her co-workers shared.

With a shaky voice, Lena Luthor joined the singing.

_“…and I begged you, to let me take you home….”_ She sang without practice, but with her head high.

No one could have imagine Lena Luthor would ever be in this situation, but here she was. Her head high, her figure fully exposed, she sang Barenaked Ladies to save those she cared about.

Let no one say Lena Luthor had no compassion.

One by one, the chorus of voices broke out. Their arms went above their heads in a clear gesture of rendition.

_“You were wrong, I was right, you said goodbye. I said goodnight.”_ They sang. The voices were different in tune, but the charm in it was the same. Their arms stayed raised.

Walking slowly, the group headed for the door. The DEO agents didn’t stop them, they just kept the peace.

Peacefully, the refugees were escorted out of the library.

Alex headed towards Lena Luthor and Kara Danvers. She kept her eyes towards her ceiling, and she was sure the jokes over this night would be enough to keep her alcohol stash full.

“Kara Danvers, you have the right to remain silent.” She handcuffed her with a scoff.

Hearing Kara laugh was the best sound she’d ever heard in these last months.

Lena was also escorted and handcuffed, but she was next to Kara and that was enough. She was just sorry she wouldn’t be there to see Lilian Luthor react to _that_ news coverage.

Outside, Nia had her last and most important appearance in this particular case.

“We’re here outside, where the refugees seem to have come to an agreement with the police, they’re…. they….” Nia was at a loss for words.

This was true for most new channels. They didn’t know what to report it, and most channels were not allowed to use the footage for legal reasons.

Maggie stopped to a halt when the doors opened. She had only met Kara a couple of times before Superman was sent to hospital care and Alex dedicated herself to find her sister again.

When the doors opened and Little Danvers walked from the building with Lena Luthor, clearly smitten, Maggie Sawyer couldn’t help but raise her eyebrow.

The next game night was going to be interesting.

The refugees were escorted outside, towards a DEO bus, now wearing the jackets of the very charitable agents. They were still singing Barenaked Ladies – taking them to the top charts of National City in that same week.

Andrea got out of the news van and saw the event with disbelief.

“No way. _Lena?”_ She dropped her jaw. She felt a rush of guilty a seeing the outcome of this stand-off. When she spoke with Lena in the phone, she didn’t realize her ‘source’ and Lena knew each other.

She watched as Lena Luthor, wearing an oversized DEO jacket over nothing, smiled to the blonde woman behind her.

“Is that the friend you always talk about?” Brainy asked.

Andrea’s glare was enough for him to take a couple of steps back.

Lena got inside the bus. Kara was about to follow, but Alex pulled her arm.

“Hey. Don’t disappear on me, kay?” Alex said. Her voice carried all the anxiety and fear these months had on her.

Kara smiled. Maybe finding some new friends was what she needed. To remember what she was fighting for.

Her hands were still handcuffed, so she headbutted Alex’s neck.

“Course’ not. I just needed some time, but I think I’m okay now. I’m not leaving you again, Alex. Promise.” Kara smiled big. “See you at the DEO?” Kara asked.

“You bet.” Alex smirked.

Kara got back on the bus. She sat next to Lena. The whole bus was singing the song now.

Vasquez was hollering out of her lungs, always down to join others. Lucy was singing too, already calculating how much fun Lois was going to have with this, and her dad, oh god.

Lena on the other hand, looked around her.

M’Gann was singing under her breath, almost like a prayer.

Maybe the youngest Luthor didn’t have a fortune anymore, but she had wit. She would get M’Gann her bar back. And help build more shelters. Build herself a company, meet Kara’s sister, get Supergirl out there again.

She was going to be so happy.

“What are you thinking, Lee?” Kara asked. Her eyes shining.

Lena laughed.

“Darling...I’m thinking maybe I should give CatCo that interview they keep asking me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end!


End file.
